Telecast Fiber Systems' SHED SMPTE hybrid elimination deviceALABASTER, ALA.
Leading-edge technology, and the expertise to help clients achieve the best possible outcome, is our key to staying ahead in today's highly competitive mobile TV production business.
This has been the driving philosophy at Crosscreek Television Productions and has enabled us to land significant contracts with some of today's largest sports broadcasters—a major feat for a smaller truck company. We operate a fleet of six production trucks and three B units, including our 53-foot Voyager 8 HD truck. We've just completed our second 53-foot HD mobile unit, Voyager 9.
During the past decade, fiber optics has transformed live sports production, particularly as sports venues have begun to incorporate fiber into their broadcast communications infrastructures.
Similarly, broadcasters are now embracing fiber's light weight, ease of installation and superiority over copper coax and triax for transmitting high-quality signals over very long cable runs. And this technology isn't just limited to fixed production facilities; we've now included advanced fiber optics equipment from Telecast Fiber Systems in both our Voyager 8 and Voyager 9 vehicles.
HIGH PERFORMANCE WITHOUT LARGE PACKAGE
Telecast's Rattler miniature fiber optic serial digital transmission modules play an important role in our high-definition service offerings aboard the HD Voyagers. With the Rattlers, Telecast packs a lot of power in a small package that possesses a broad range of digital rates, and yet maintains the signal quality that our clients demand. As the Rattlers work on both multimode and single mode fiber, we are always ready to transmit and receive any video feeds to and from the trucks, regardless of the type of fiber available at the venue. And, at just three inches in length, these little units bring new meaning to the word "portable."
Another indispensible Telecast invention—the SHED SMPTE hybrid elimination device—is another key player in our HD production strategy.
The interior of Crosscreek Television Productions' Voyager 9 remote television production vehicle SHED adaptors are part of the equipment component in both of our vehicles, and allow production crews using SMPTE fiber-ready cameras to replace hybrid optical fiber/copper cabling with low-cost single-mode fiber. We've paired each SHED system with a Telecast HDX unit, which allows us to remotely power the cameras. The SHED/HDX pairs give our clients full studio-level control of their cameras throughout the venue, with very little extra gear and effort.
GEAR MAKES COMPANY MORE COMPETITIVE
For a mobile production company of our size, landing high profile production deals with large clients can sometimes be a daunting task. However, at Crosscreek we now have two secret weapons for success. The first is our participation in Alliance Productions, a strategic collaboration of the largest group of mobile production companies covering North America. And the second is our gear from Telecast Fiber Systems. It has served us well for many years and continues to enable us to provide top-of-line HD services to our clients. Of the many fiber equipment vendors in the marketplace, it's clear that Telecast has the best handle on how mobile production systems operate, and how to help companies such as ours stay competitive.
John Peers is vice president of engineering for Crosscreek Television Productions in Alabaster, Ala. He may be contacted atjp@crosscreektv.com.
For additional information, contact Telecast Fiber Systems at 508-754-4858 or visitwww.telecast-fiber.com.
